By David Oxenford on May 26, 2016 Posted in EEO Compliance/Diversity,Multiple Ownership RulesThe Third Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday issued an opinion faulting the FCC for not completing any required review of its broadcast ownership rules since the 2006 review was completed in 2007. These reviews of its ownership rules, now done as “Quadrennial Reviews” every four years, but previously required to be done biennially, have been… Continue Reading

By David Oxenford on December 18, 2015 Posted in Digital Television,Multiple Ownership Rules,TelevisionAs one of the many legislative changes that made their way into the Congressional Omnibus Spending Bill set to be voted out of Congress this week and signed by the President to keep the government operating for the next year, there is a provision authorizing TV stations to continue through September 30, 2025 operating with Joint Sales… Continue Reading

By David Oxenford on October 30, 2014 Posted in Multiple Ownership Rules,TelevisionAs we wrote in early April, the FCC has determined that TV Joint Sales Agreements, by which the owner of one TV station in a market sells more than 15% of the advertising time on another station in the same market, are “attributable interests” under the multiple ownership rules. That means that a station can… Continue Reading

By David Oxenford on May 20, 2014 Posted in Multiple Ownership Rules,TelevisionThe FCC’s proceeding on its multiple ownership rules, adopting rules that make Joint Sales Agreements “attributable” (meaning that they “count” for multiple ownership purposes – one TV station can’t do one with another unless it can own that other station) and starting a new proceeding to review its other ownership rules, was adopted in late… Continue Reading

By David Oxenford on April 17, 2014 Posted in FM Radio,Multiple Ownership Rules,TelevisionThe text of the FCC’s decision on the attribution of Joint Sales Agreements for multiple ownership purposes, and the termination of the 2010 Quadrennial Review of the ownership rules and the start of the 2014 Quadrennial Review, has now been released by the FCC. In a slim 211 pages of text, plus another 24 pages… Continue Reading

By David Oxenford on April 1, 2014 Posted in Cable Carriage,Multiple Ownership Rules,TelevisionThe FCC meeting yesterday proposed to attribute Joint Sales Agreements (making them “count” for multiple ownership purposes – meaning that one broadcaster can’t do a JSA with another station unless it can own the other station). The Commission also apparently kicked the can down the road on all other multiple ownership matters – not changing… Continue Reading

By David Oxenford on March 11, 2014 Posted in Cable Carriage,Multiple Ownership Rules,TelevisionThe agenda is out, and the FCC’s likely action on their Quadrennial Review of the multiple ownership rules now seems to be much clearer. And the decision seems likely to follow the rumors circulating in Washington for weeks (about which we have written here and here), with new regulatory wrinkles added to those previously suggested. … Continue Reading

By David Oxenford on March 5, 2014 Posted in Multiple Ownership Rules,TelevisionWhile we hate to turn this into the JSA/SSA blog, it appears that events are moving quickly on that front, so there is seemingly some news almost every day. The week before last, the big news was comments of the Department of Justice filed with the FCC, suggesting that Joint Sales Agreements be attributable (meaning… Continue Reading

By David Oxenford on December 10, 2012 Posted in Multiple Ownership RulesThe FCC’s multiple ownership proceeding was going to be decided at last, before Christmas, or at least that was what was suggested by many news reports as recently as early last week. Published reports suggested that a draft proposal was circulating at the FCC, and that it was expected to be acted on in December –… Continue Reading

By David Oxenford on November 27, 2011 Posted in Multiple Ownership Rules,TelevisionIn an eagerly anticipated case involving TV stations in the Honolulu market, the FCC’s Media Bureau determined that a programming swap that permitted one company to hold the licenses of both the NBC and CBS affiliates in a single market, and to also provide technical and office services and news programming to a third station in the market, was permissible under… Continue Reading

By David Oxenford on May 6, 2010 Posted in Multiple Ownership Rules,TelevisionIn recent years, as competition in the video marketplace has become more intense, in a number of broadcast television markets, competing stations have teamed up to combine certain of their operations to achieve economies while still allowing for some degree of independence of programming. Under these "shared services agreements", one station will provide back-office support… Continue Reading

By David Oxenford on August 5, 2007 Posted in Multiple Ownership Rules,TelevisionThe FCC last week approved two television "Shared Services Agreements," here and here, each between the proposed Buyer of a television station and a company that owns another television station in the same market. In each case, the existing owner would sell advertising time for the station being purchased, as well as provide a loan guaranty for the funds necessary for… Continue Reading

About David Oxenford

David Oxenford represents broadcasting and digital media companies in connection with
regulatory, transactional and intellectual property issues. He has represented broadcasters before the Federal Communications Commission, the courts and other government agencies for over 30 years. Continue Reading

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About

David is a partner at the law firm of Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP, practicing out of its Washington, DC office. He has represented broadcasters for over 30 years on a wide array of matters from the negotiation and structuring of station purchase and sale agreements to regulatory matters. His regulatory expertise includes all areas of broadcast law including the FCC’s multiple ownership limitations, the political broadcasting rules, EEO policy, advertising issues, and other programming matters and FCC technical rules.